Hearing

Modernizing the National Park Service Concession Program

To look at potential solutions for increasing revenue and attendance at national parks.

BACKGROUND:

NPS was established in 1916 and oversees many prominent tourist attractions across the U.S.

Many essential components of national parks such as campgrounds, lodging, or food service are contracted out to private companies known as concessioners, rather than run by NPS itself.

Concessioners employ over 25,000 people within the national parks system and provide more than $1 billion in goods and services to visitors every year.

NPS faces an $11.49 billion maintenance backlog.NPS concession laws and policy may contribute to this backlog and keep the NPS from maximizing the visitor experience at national parks across the country.